I don’t know about others. However, I find it mind bending how a religious group that spends the better part of December talking about good will towards others. A group often references this part of the year as the, “season of giving.” Will also whine about people wishing others Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, or Happy whatever other holiday instead of Merry Chirstmas.

They talk about, “Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards men.” Yet, some of these same people call for cultural wars over what others should celebrate. They get offended with people saying, “Happy Holidays!” or “Seasons Greetings!” to others instead of, “Merry Xmas!” because it isn’t what they believe in or it isn’t dominate. So is it, “Goodwill Towards Men” and, “Peace on Earth” that you believe in then? Or is it just towards those that believe the same way you do and act like you and celebrate like you?

This mentality isn’t just limited just to a small group of Christians either…which leads to a broader issue(in my view anyway)…whatever happened to respecting freedom of speech? Or was that only for when others give you warm greetings worded only to your liking? Why are we as a culture so easily offended that we on all sides push other sides into slience? Is the true spirit of bringing people together a lost cause? Do we really care about others or just those we agree with.

I wrote sometime around April on my blog about a bridge of my past being put on fire. I wrote that some of the issues of my past were now being pushed behind me and destroyed. I believe very strongly that my intuition give me an imagine of this symbolic bridge to show me that I could not go back to my old life.

I got impatient. I thought my whole life was going to take a different course and everything was going to be better. For most part that is actually true. However, I am still far from where I need to be. It doesn’t show on the outside. But, I can hardly explain how things have changed on the inside.

This morning, my intuition reminded me that the bridge hasn’t finished burning yet. It has collapsed but it hasn’t finished burning underneath the collapse. There is still smoke coming out from underneath. It was simply the end of a beginning. A realization that no matter where you are in life you can always change your path.

Sometimes, the old paths have to give way for the new path to completely unfold. It is often only afterwords that your outer life may begin to reflect the inner change that comes from the passions that stir you heart.

In my minds eye, I am deep in the woods. I see the new path starting to unfold as the burning bridge has become ash and coal. The new one is starting to develop more and more strongly. I can see the horizon changing. A promise from the universe. It is telling me to stay focused. This is the end of a new beginning that must unfold from the inside out.

I see in the distance past the new bridge that is barely starting to take a skeleton of a shape at a different point in the landscape. I have much more work to do. However, the promise from the other side that now stirs in my heart is becoming more odvious and more beautiful.

The old bridge is ash. The new bridge is coming. Keep going towards where your intuition is leading you. The other side is more beautiful then whatever falls apart in the wake of where your heart and intuition leads you. So, if you find yourself at a crossroads, follow your intuition and just keep going.

I was bullied mercilessly as a child. I was always the center of attention for ridicule. However, now I laugh with people rather than let them laugh at me. I am highly introverted but I also tell jokes to ease my way into conneceting with others. There is also an extremely serious side to me that most people used to never see. That was the case until I realized that I can be both serious at times and funny at times as a way of both connecting with other people and often helping other people. Some people may like me. Others may not. Either way…I don’t lose any sleep over it anymore. One thing that all of that ridicule has taught me(the hardway) is to just be myself. Some people may like it, others may not. I have spent most of my life (until about 30) in the shallows of fear of what other people think and it has costed me much more than it has benefitted me. The more years that have gone by, the more I realize that it doesn’t matter. Because, it has taught to be more empathic, compassionate and open with others without being fearful of what others think about me.